Better In Time
by Charlee B
Summary: Jake is back and really changed. So Miley decides to give him another chance. But what happens when there’s more sides to this new Jake then anybody saw? And who will be there to protect Miley from the truth? Jiley, Moliver, Lackson.
1. Return

**Better In Time**

**Summary:**** Jake is back and really changed. So Miley decides to give him another chance. But what happens when there's more sides to this new Jake then anybody saw? And who will be there to protect Miley from the truth? Jiley, Moliver, Lackson. **

* * *

Chapter 1: Return

Miley Stewart sat on the warm sand, picking it up in her hands then letting it run through her fingers. It had been early that morning when the teenager had gotten his call. He said he was back in town. He was taking a couple of months off to be normal kid. Just like her.

'Normal' was the last word Miley would have used to describe Jake Ryan. 'Outgoing', maybe, self-preserving', yes, 'eccentric', most definitely, but 'normal' seemed like quite a stretch for him. It had been nearly ten months since they broke up, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since: She had gone out with Trey, Hannah had gotten her Diamond, and even Oliver had had a girlfriend for a whole month. And now Jake was coming back, asking to meet her on the beach? At their old spot? What had brought this on?

"Miley?" A soft, familiar voice said through the trees. Jake Ryan emerged from the softly blowing palm trees. He looked the same, and yet, something about him had distinctly changed. He had the same shiny golden hair, the same blue-green eyes, the same charming smile of perfectly white teeth. But somehow, he looked more mature, more grown up. Like he was really trying 'the whole normal thing'.

"Jake," Miley said, getting up and staring at him. "How...how are you?"

"Great," Jake said, stepping towards her. He put his arms out, inviting a hug. Miley hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and gave him a quick squeeze. "How've you been, Miley?"

"Pretty good," Miley said, pulling herself away from him. "So why are you here?"

"I thought this would be a good spot," Jake said, his eyes searching her face, as though he was to memorize every angle, every curve, every line of it. "It always was."

"I don't mean here, here," Miley said, gesturing to the beach. "I mean in Malibu. What happened to that TV show in London?"

"I'm taking a couple of months off," Jake answered. "My character is off attending a summer internship program at a private investigator's office in L.A."

"But why are you taking time off?" Miley asked, desperate for a real answer. "I thought this show was getting you crazy international fame?"

"It was," Jake replied truthfully. "It still is. But I wanted to come back. I needed to come back."

"Why?" Miley asked.

"What's with the third degree, Miley?" Jake asked softly. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."

"It's not that I'm not happy to see you," Miley said bashfully. "It's just you tend to bring a storm of trouble with you every time you come through here."

"I assure you my intentions are pure," Jake said, smiling. "I just wanted to see my friends again. I wanted to see you."

"Oh, Jake," Miley said. "You know we can't...not after..."

"I'm not here to beg you to take me back," Jake assured her. "I'm just here to spend time with you. And Lily. And Oliver. And all my other friends from my days at Seaview. I want to show everybody that I'm not the ego-centric superstar that I used to be."

"You were never..." Miley lied. "I mean...not that...well maybe...no..."

"You never were a good liar," Jake said, grinning.

"I guess not," Miley said, laughing softly. "So you've really changed, huh?"

"I'd like to think so," Jake replied, taking a seat of the soft beach and looking out at the setting sun. "Spending the last few months in London really got me thinking, you know? Being in a country where everything is so different from what I'm used to. With all these people that I don't know. It got me thinking. It made me realize that even if I wanted to go home, I didn't really have anybody to go home to. I didn't really have any friends because of the way I acted."

"Oh," Miley said, sitting down next to him. She had had no idea that this was how he felt. He had seemed a little more grown up the last time he was here, but they couldn't really be friends because of Miley's jealousy problem. She was sure she had gotten over that now. Could they really be friends this time around? "Well, you've got me."

"Really?" Jake said, looking at her happily. "Even after all we've been through? With your secret, and Mikayla, and my big head?"

"Your head looks pretty normal-sized now," Miley joked, pushing Jake's shoulder. "And Mikayla didn't get a Diamond on the Parade of Diamonds, now did she?"

"I forgot to congratulate you for that," Jake said. "I knew Hannah would get one before me."

"Really?" Miley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Jake replied casually. "The old Jake would have been appalled by the fact that you got a star before him. But right now, I'm glad you did."

"Wow," Miley said. _Maybe he has changed. _"You want to go and find Lily and Oliver?"

"If that's where you'll be, I'm there," Jake said, looking into Miley's eyes.

* * *

Not too far up the beach, in that exact moment, Oliver Oaken was busy stuffing his face with a chilli-cheese dog at Rico's Beach Hut. Lily Truscott was also there, deep in conversation about cars with Miley's older brother, Jackson. Oliver looked out at the water and wondered what Miley was doing right then. Maybe brushing her long, beautiful hair, or preparing for one of Hannah's amazing shows, or maybe, just maybe she was thinking about him too. Oliver could distinctly remember the moment he first realized he was in love with Miley Stewart...

"_So, you were Hannah in the limo when I was upside-down?" Oliver asked, still in shock.  
__**"**__Yeah," Miley replied.  
__**"**__And backstage when I was hanging out of the window?" Oliver pondered.  
__**"**__Yep."  
__**"**__And when I hid in your bass drum and rode on your tour bus all the way to Phoenix?" Oliver rambled, not thinking about what he was saying.  
__**"**__You did what?" Miley asked, surprised.  
__**"**__ Nothing!" Oliver quickly replied. He couldn't believe it. He had spent two whole years loving Hannah Montana, worshipping the ground she walked on, but the whole time it was really Miley? He looked at Miley; really looked at her. She _did _have the same cute little nose, beautiful eyes and perfect face that Oliver had loved to look at when she was Hannah Montana. And when he thought about it, he had always felt like he had known Hannah, like she was someone he had already met. And here she was. As beautiful and wonderful as ever. But now, she was real._

"Oliver?" Lily said, pulling Oliver out of his flashback. "Hello? Earth to donut!"

"What?" Oliver asked, turning around to face his friend.

"I asked you if you knew what Miley was up to this afternoon," Lily repeated. "Jackson said that she got a call this morning then just took off."

"I don't know," Oliver replied, turning back to look at the setting sun. Suddenly, as if she had been called, Miley walked up the beach. She looked beautiful as the day's last sunbeams kissed her hair, illuminating her smooth skin. The sight of her made a knot form in the pit of Oliver's stomach.

The knot was quickly replaced by what felt like a fiery rock when Oliver noticed who his true love was with: Jake Ryan, Zombie Slayer/Inter-galactic Bounty Hunter/major pain in the...

"Oh my god!" Lily squealed. "It's Jake!"

"I noticed," Oliver grumbled.

"Hey Lily!" Jake said, giving the baffled blonde a hug.

"Hi Jake," Lily said, looking over at Miley with a look that clearly said _Oh my gosh why didn't you tell me about this earlier?. _

"Oliver, my man!" Jake said, putting his arm in the air, waiting for Oliver's high five. Oliver paused for a moment before grudgingly slapping Jake open fist with his own.

"So what brings you back in town?" Lily asked. "I don't remember reading anywhere about any new movies from you..." She grabbed a gossip magazine from the beach shack and flipped through it.

"I'm here on vacation, so to speak," Jake replied, sitting down next to Lily.

"So when are you leaving?" Oliver inquired, his voice laced with jealousy.

"Oliver!" Miley said, glaring at him.

"What I meant was," Oliver said, changing his tone for Miley's benefit. "For how long do we have the pleasure of your company?"

"I'm not sure yet," Jake answered. "As long as my friends want me here." He looked lovingly over at Miley, who had taken a seat on Lily's other side. Jake suddenly rose from his seat. "I'd really love to stay and hang out with you guys, but I promised my grandmother I'd take her out to dinner and a movie tonight. I'll call you tomorrow, alright?" He waved at Miley then was off towards the street.

"Oh my gosh, Miley!" Lily yelled, slapping her best friend on the arm.

"Ow!" Miley said, rubbing her arm.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about this before!" Lily said.

"It's no big deal," Miley said. "It's just Jake."

"I don't think so," Lily said. "Did you see him? He was all 'taking a vacation from being a celebrity' and 'taking his grandma to the movies'! He's grown up and...I can't believe I'm saying this but...mature!"

"I know," Miley said almost dreamily. "He's really changed, huh?"

"I still think he's the same jerk he was seven months ago," Oliver said bitterly.

"I don't," Lily said. "Are you going to give him another chance?"

"Oh, I don't know," Miley replied.

"Well, either way, I think this is a good occasion for new shoes!" Lily squealed happily. "Let's go!"

Miley and Lily scurried off. "Chicks," Jackson said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah," Oliver replied absentmindedly.

"Oh my god," a passing girl said to her friend. "Did you just see who was here? Jake Ryan! He is soooo cute!"

Oliver sighed loudly and dropped his head onto the table.

This was going to be a long week.


	2. Different

**A/N:**** Yay alright! I'm pretty happy with the popularity of the first chapter of this story (it might not seem like a lot to you, but if you disagree, all you have to do is get your friends to R&R it), so I'm rolling out another chapter. I'd also thought I'd take the opportunity to tell all of you wonderful readers that if you like this story, go check out my other ones! And most importantly of all, enjoy (and also review, cuz let's be honest, that's probably more important than you enjoying it. Just kidding!)! **

**Oh, also, sorry if this chapter isn't super great. It's pretty much a filer.**

**Okay, rant over. Read on, chéries!**

* * *

Chapter Two: Different

Oliver's prediction had been spot on: the next week of his life was horribly long and agonising. Much to his dismay, Jake really seemed to have turned over a new leaf, so he and the girls spent all their spare time seeing movies, going to the beach and even going shopping with Gramma Ryan. Jake had turned into a bloody saint.

_Oh, joy._

"Oliver?" Miley asked, waving her hands in front of his frozen face. "Are you daydreaming about meatball subs again?"

"N-No," Oliver stuttered. He, Miley and Lily were sitting through another excruciatingly boring 3rd period English class. They only had two more left before finals, and exactly 14 more days until the most glorious of all grails: summer vacation. Two months of surfing, sleeping, hanging out with Miley and...

"You think Jake will still be in town when school lets out?" Lily whispered to Miley.

"I think so," Miley said, then giggled.

"What's so funny?" Oliver asked, annoyed.

"Nothing's funny," Lily explained. "She's laughing because he's cute. Boys..." She rolled her eyes.

"You're not going to..." Oliver said, staring blankly at Miley. "To...take him back, are you?"

"Sweet nibblets, I don't know!" Miley replied with an exasperated sigh. "I mean, I broke up with him because he was such an obnoxious self-centered drama king, but now he's all..."

"Sweet and perfect?" Lily added, smiling dreamily.

"If you like him so much, why don't you ask him out?" Miley joked.

"Good idea!" Oliver said seriously. Miley and Lily both gave him an odd look. "I was joking! Pshh...obviously..."

"Mr Oaken! Ms Stewart! Ms Truscott!" Mr Boring English Teacher (more commonly known as Mr Whitmore) barked. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

"No," the trio answered in unison.

"Then I suggest you keep it quiet," Mr Whitmore replied sternly. "I wouldn't want to have to give you a detention with only two weeks left of school." He turned back to the board and continued his incoherently boring lecture on the importance of good cheese...or good revision, whatever it was, no a soul in the class was paying attention to it.

"So are you going to give him second chance or not?" Lily demanded, once again ignoring the teacher and his futile dark glances.

"I think we're a little past _second _chance," Oliver said bitterly. "More like fifth...or was it seventh..."

"Don't be so harsh, Oliver," Miley said.

"Come on, Miley," Oliver said. "He hasn't changed. You know if you get back together with him it'll be the same as always. He's perfect at first, and then he's wearing stupid wigs and stealing water from little girls."

"You don't know that," Lily snapped.

"You don't know that I don't know that," Oliver retorted.

"What?" Miley said, clearly confused.

"Whatever," Lily said. "I think you should give him another chance."

"Who says he even wants another chance?" Oliver asked, not believing the words he was saying, and yet hoping desperately it were true.

"Oh, please," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "What do you think he came all the over here for? To see you, Oliver?"

"You think that's why he came back?" Miley wondered aloud.

"Um, hello?" Lily said. "Of course!"

"Exactly!" Oliver said, snapping his fingers as though he just realized something. "That's why he's here! That's why he's all nice and charming and all that junk! I bet he's gone through all the pretty girls in London and he wants another round with you!"

"God, Oliver," Miley said. "He's not a pig."

"Says you," Oliver muttered.

"Why do you care who I go out with anyway?" Miley snapped.

"Yeah," Lily said, agreeing with Miley. "Not jealous, are you?"

"Oh yeah," Oliver said sarcastically. "I'm so jealous of that meathead." But he knew that he was. After all, Jake Ryan had managed to win Miley's heart not once, but twice. And it looked like he was heading for number three.

"He is _not _a meathead," Miley said. "And you know what? If he wants to get back together, maybe I _will_." She turned away from Oliver and angrily opened her book.

_Look who's the meathead now, nitwit. _

* * *

Lily was leaning against the counter at Rico's, sipping a strawberry smoothie, letting the wind bow through her hair. Miley was at a photo shoot for Hannah, and Oliver was being a grouchy baby (just like he had been since Jake's arrival) and was pouting in his room, so Lily was alone.

"Hey Lily," Jackson said casually from behind the ledge. "Why aren't at the photo shoot with Miley?"

"I couldn't stay for the whole thing," Lily explained. "I had a dentist's appointment this morning and tonight I have to go to my grandparents' anniversary party."

"Ah, gotchya," Jackson said, nodding. "...So what's with Jake being back in town?"

"It's crazy, eh?" Lily said, taking a seat at the counter.

"Yeah," Jackson replied. "Why is he here anyway?"

"He says he's here on vacation," Lily said. "To spend time with his friends."

"And you don't believe him?" Jackson said, handing Lily a bottle of water.

"I don't know," Lily answered, opening the bottle and taking a sip. "He's all different now..."

"Yeah, that's what Dad said too," Jackson said. "He was over the other day when I was out with Cooper and Dad says he was really changed. Made Dad laugh."

"He's really mature and stuff now," Lily added.

"You think it's legit?"

"God, I hope so," Lily replied. "I mean, he's not that good an actor."

Jackson laughed. "Can't argue with you there."

Lily giggled. _That was odd,_ she thought._ He wasn't even being that funny._ "I really think he's changed," Lily said, shaking off her doubts. "Oliver doesn't, though."

"No surprise there," Jackson said.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, puzzled.

"Oh, come on, Lily," Jackson said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Oliver's been crushing on my baby sis forever."

"No," Lily said, taken aback. "No!"

"Yes, yes," Jackson replied. "You couldn't tell?"

"I mean, I know he was in love with Hannah Montana..." Lily stuttered. "But I never really thought...I know they're close...but he had a girlfriend...really?"

"I thought girls were more observant than guys," Jackson joked. "But then again, you're not all that girly."

"...What?" Lily said, slightly hurt by Jackson's comment. "Y-you don't think I'm girly? I'm plenty girly!"

"I was joking," Jackson quickly said, hoping to take back his words. "Plus, it doesn't really even matter if you're not girly."

"Yes it does," Lily replied, now sad. She had never been the girly type, and she had always felt disadvantaged by it. All the girly girls, including Miley, had always gotten more attention from boys.

"No it doesn't Lily," Jackson said softly. "You're totally cool just the way you are."

"R-really?"

"Of course," Jackson replied reassuringly. "Girly girls are such a hassle. They take forever to get ready...and they don't like cool stuff like surfing and skateboarding...all they want to do is shop and talk about their nails. You can never do anything fun with them."

"Angie Hathe is pretty girly," Lily said.

"Yes she is," Jackson said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"And she's you're girlfriend," Lily added.

"Yeah," Jackson replied, sighing. "I mean, she's hot and all, but I guess I'm looking for a girl I can actually have some fun with, you know?"

"Yeah," Lily said, suddenly finding herself blushing.

"Oh Jackson!" said a shrill and squeaky voice. A tall read head was waving frantically at Jackson as she walked up the beach to Rico's. "Hey, poo-bear!" She leaned over and kissed Jackson softly on the lips. She turned to Lily with a sour look on her face. "Who are you?"

"Ah..." Lily said awkwardly.

"This is Lily," Jackson replied. "She's Miley's best friend."

"A freshman, ew," Angie replied, wrinkling her nose. She turned back to Jackson. "So are we going to the mall after you're done work? I've got to tell you all about my new manicure. Check it out!" She put out hands so that Jackson could see her sparkly pink nails.

Lily rolled her eyes and giggled silently. "Bye Jackson," Lily said, leaving her best friend's brother to listen to the details of the perfect manicure.

* * *

**A/N: ****Okey dokey! There's chapter two! I know there wasn't much Moliver or Jiley, but there'll be tons in chapter three; I guarantee it. So now, all you have to go and push the little purple button down there and review this chapter!**

**Okay random comment time: Has anybody gone to a concert on Paramore's 'The Final Riot!' tour? I went on Friday and it was amazing! Jack's Mannequin and Paper Route and Phantom Planet and Paramore were insane! **

**This random comment has been brought to you in part by Charlee.B. Productions. Have a nice day & review this story. :)**


	3. Thought

**A/N: Heyy buddies! I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! School started, and I've kinda been caught up in all that (my last year of high school; yay me!). Plus I've been going crazy making YouTube videos. I've decided to write my stories in a notebook first, so it'll all be a little more mobile. I wrote this chapter in history class. **

**By the way, if you have a YouTube account, my user name is becreative76, so feel free to add me as a friend and check out my videos! If you don't have a YouTube account, check my videos out anyway!**

**I've decided from now on the story is going to be from various characters' POV (mainly Lily, Miley & Oliver's). This chapter is from Lily's. **

**ENJOY, AND PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!**

* * *

Chapter Three: Thought

I should have seen it coming. All the signs had been there, and yet it had still come as a shock. Oliver had always found problems with every guy Miley had ever gone out with. He had always shown a weakness for her; he always treated her differently than me.

So my best guy friend was in love with my best girl friend. Nothing should be wrong with that, right? It might be weird at first, of they started going out, but it's something I could get used to. No problem here, right?

Except there was a problem. And his name was Jake Ryan.

I really don't have anything against the guy. I mean, we all know I had a major crush on him back in the day. And he's obviously matured a lot since then. But there's a reason him and Miley didn't work out the first time around. Or the second time, for that matter. I really think Oliver would be much for her. They just...make sense, you know?

"So are you hanging out with Jake again tonight?" I said to Miley, hanging upside down off the edge of her bed, four days after the Big Crush was revealed. And believe me, it deserves the capital letters.

"Yeah," Miley replied dreamily, looking up at the ceiling as she laid on her bed. "We're going to a party for one of Jake's old friends from Zombie High."

"Is Miley or Hannah going?" I asked.

"Hannah," Miley replied. "I've never really hung out with him as Hannah. Maybe it can be different, cause will both be celebrities."

"This getting crazy, Miley," I said frankly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, sitting up.

"You've been spending so much time with Jake lately," I replied, still upside down, as the blood rushed to my head. "You've been with him non-stop for the past week and a half!"

"So what?" Miley said, folding her arms across her chest. "It's not like I've been spending any less time with you. And I thought you liked Jake!"

"I do," I replied, putting myself upright again. I was briefly dizzy as the blood rushed out of my head. And I do like Jake. I just like Oliver better. "It's just...Oliver."

"What about Oliver?" Miley asked, scooting closer to me.

I wanted to tell her the truth. I wanted to tell her that her donut of a best (guy) friend was truly, deeply and madly in love with her. But I couldn't. Oliver didn't even know that I knew. So Miley couldn't know before he knew that I know, you know? Does that make sense? Or are there too many 'know's' in that sentence? Maybe it should be something like "before he knows that I knew"? Or "he knew that I knows"?

"Hello? Earth to Lily!" Miley said, waving her sparkly pink nails in front of my face.

"I knows," I replied. "I mean...right...Oliver kinda doesn't like Jake."

"I noticed," Miley answered.

"And that doesn't bother you?" I said.

"Oliver's acting weird lately," Miley said. "You don't think he's jealous of Jake, do you?"

"Now why ever would you think that?" I asked, trying to mask my sarcasm.

"Oh come on," Miley replied. "It's pretty obvious."

I looked away nervously. Did she know? It had taken me forever to see it, and a boy had to point it out for me, for crying out loud. Was I that bad of a girl? A real girl would have seen it from the start. Oh, geez, I really need to work on that.

"Jake is super popular," Miley explained. "And Oliver's been sort of gaining some, you know? He was in the top 75 on Amber & Ashley's list this year. If Jake's back, Oliver fades, right?"

"Yeah," I lied. "That's why."

"He shouldn't be such a baby about it about it though," Miley said, "Jake isn't here to steal his spotlight."

"The last time I checked, the centre of attention was Jake's favourite place to be," I pointed out.

"Who's side are you on?" Miley asked, throwing her pillow at my head. I ducked just in time to a mass of pink fluff fly over my head, hit the wall, and slide to the floor.

"I'm not on anyone's side," I said, raising my arms in defence.

The truth was, I didn't know which side I wanted to be on. I mean, it was obvious that Jake had changed, but could Oliver be right? Could Jake have shady ulterior motives behind it all? Or was that opinion rooted in jealousy because of Oliver's feelings for Miley? On one hand, I wanted Miley to be happy. On the other hand, I wanted Oliver to be happy too. And he had gotten along fine with Jake the other times Miley had been with him. So maybe he wasn't wrong about Jake. On the other other hand...wait, I've only got two hands. But it's in an expression, right? So I can have as many hands as I...anyways, on the other...foot, maybe I should just let my friends work it out on their own. Meddling has only caused us all loads of trouble.

"Look Miley," I said seriously. "If you wanna go out with Jake again, it's your choice. Third time's the charm, right?"

"Oh, that's real mature, Lily," Miley replied, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Oh, come on, Miley," I replied, regretting making the comment. "You know what I mean."

"Whatever," Miley replied, getting off her bed and walking over to the Hannah closet. "I got to get ready for tonight."

"Okay," I said, hopping to my feet. " I guess I'll get going. Maybe Oliver will be in a better mood tonight."

* * *

Boys complicate everything. They really do.

If we never had to worry about how boys see us, if we never needed to understand or fix them, our lives would all be so much simpler.

But of course, our lives would a lot more boring too.

"What do you want?" Oliver snapped, coming up the bench and taking a seat next to me at Rico's.

"I'm fine, thank you, and how are you?" I said sarcastically.

"Seriously, Lily, why did you call me?" Oliver asked.

"Oh gosh, I don't know," I said, still sarcastic. "I just assumed it would be okay to call up my best friend and ask him to hang out with me. I wasn't aware that that's frowned upon nowadays. My bad."

"Well...I was busy," Oliver said, clearly possessed by Oscar the Grouch.

"Busy moping?" I asked, glaring at him.

"I was not," Oliver argued. "Why didn't you just call Miley?"

"She has a thing," I replied, lowering my voice. "A Hannah thing."

"With Jake?" Oliver spat. The word 'Jake' came out as though it was some disgusting virus erupting from his mouth.

"Uh..." I replied, not wanting to upset him. More.

"Don't try to lie," Oliver said. "I don't really care."

"Right, I'm sure you don't," I blurted out. I immediately regretted it when I saw how red Oliver's face had suddenly gotten. What was with my big mouth today?

"Why...why would I care?" Oliver stuttered, his face now resembling a large tomato. "Miley can go out with whatever self-centered, big-headed jerky playboy she wants. It's doesn't change anything in my life."

"Oh please," I responded spontaneously. I quickly slapped my mouth with my hand, hoping it might stop from saying anything else stupid.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Oliver snapped defensively.

I slowly removed my hand from in front of my lips. "It's just..." I replied, thinking of a good answer. "It's okay if you don't like him. You're suspicious of his motives. I get it."

"Well yeah," Oliver said, calming down. "I just don't want him to hurt him again, you know? He knows so much about her, and we all know he has a temper. I know she deserves so much better than anything he thinks he can give her."

Oh my gosh. He is just so sweet for. "Oh, you so love her!" I thought.

Except, I didn't just think it. I said it aloud.

"W-What?" Oliver said, getting red again.

"Nothing," I quickly replied. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? "It's just...an observation?"

SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP BIG MOUTH!

"That's insane," Oliver said, obviously lying, due to the fact that his eye was twitching. His left eye always twitched when he lied. "She's just...just my friend."

"That doesn't mean you can't be in love with her," my lips spat out, clearly having a mind of their own. My own mind was still yelling SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!

"I'm...I'm...definitely...that's just...no," Oliver said, his eye still twitching.

"Whatever you say, lover boy."

SHUT UP! SHUT UP!

Before Oliver could offer up a response, or before my mouth could vomit out any more insanity, my cell phone burst out in a chorus of 'True Friend'. My ringtone for Miley. Call me cheesy.

"Hi Miley," I said, flipping open my phone. "What's up?"

"...Miley?" Oliver asked nervously.

"Oh my gosh, Lily!" Miley screeched into my ear. "You will never believe what just happened!"

"Rico finally got shipped back to Planet Shortdork?" I offered jokingly.

"Hey!" Rico yelled from behind the beach bar. "Watch it, Blondie!"

"Oops," I giggled. Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Hello? Lily?" Miley whined impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead," I replied.

"Jake told me that the real reason he's back is to get back together with me!" Miley squealed happily. "And I said that I wanted to get back together with him too!"

"So what does that mean now?" I asked nervously, looking over at Oliver, who was trying to listen to our conversation.

"Jake and I are back together!" Miley replied.

"Wow," was all I could say.

"What happened?" Oliver asked. "What's going on?"

"Hold on, Miley," I said, then I covered the mouthpiece with my hand. "Oh nothing...it's not a big thing or anything...it's just...Miley and Jake may or may not be back together."

"Oh," Oliver replied sadly, lowering his head. "That's nice for them." His left eye twitched.

"Not so nice for you, though," I blurted out in a reassuring tone.

Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe it's not boys that complicate things. Maybe it's girls with big mouths that screw everything around.


	4. Again

Chapter Four: Again (Miley's POV)

"Lily?" I chirped joyfully. "You still there?"

I really couldn't believe it. Jake and I were back together! If it had been a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have even considered it. But sweet nibblets, things sure have changed!

The first time we broke up, he had some growing up to do. Then he came back, but I had some growing up to do. And then there was Mikayla, and Trey, and that horrible girl from that show about those rich kids with problems, and then there was even Johnny Collins for a while...But now, for the first time, I felt like we were both at the same level. And it felt so darn tootin' good!

"Yeah, yeah," Lily replied. "I was just breaking the news to Oliver."

" 'Breaking the news'?" I said jokingly. "You make it sound like a tragedy or something."

"Of course not!" Lily replied quickly. "it's not a...it's great! Tell me all about it!" She was now so loud that I had to pull my phone away from my ear. Sweet nibblets, what was wrong with that child today?

"Well," I sighed happily. "Here's what happened..."

---------------------------------------------------------

"You look really great, Mi---Hannah," Jake said.

"I know," I replied. "You've said six times on the way over here." He looked away. "Not that I mind."

"So how about we make it seven?" he asked charmingly, flashing me a heart-melting smile. "You look great, amazing, fantastic and beautiful. As always."

"Eeep!" I squealed happily to myself. Could he be any more perfect?

_Watch your step there, Miles,_ said a voice in my head. Don't _you remember what happened last time? _

And the voice sounded oddly a lot like Oliver.

Why was I letting him get to me? Why was I letting him fill me with doubt? Jake had changed. He had become a better person.

_People don't change_, the donut-like voice said, reappearing. _You know you can do better than a guy who broke your heart. Twice._

Go away, stupid voice!

"There's something I want to talk to you about, Miley," Jake said in a low, serious voice. "Come with me." He took me by the hand and pulled me towards a secluded room, away from the party guests and the press.

"What's up, Jake?" I asked hopefully.

"I haven't been completely honest with you about why I came back," Jake replied, looking me in the eyes.

Oh no, oh no, oh no! Oliver was right! Oliver was right! He's still the same jerk he was six months ago! I am such an idiot!

"I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time I was in England," Jake continued.

Here it comes. Why didn't I listen to Oliver? I should have just trusted him! Jake got bored with all those British girls, and he's back to London, and he'll forget all about me for the next six months.

"Even before that," Jake went on. "When I was with Mikayla, all I could think about was you."

Did he really think I was going to buy all this? I knew he'd be gone before summer started. And I was not going to let him ruin my vacation.

"Ah, sweet nibblets. I know what you're going to say," I replied, putting my hands on my hips.

"Really?" Jake asked, surprised. "You know that I got offered a spin-off and that I'm moving back to California? And that I really want to get back together with you?"

"Bigbadblondplayersaywhat?" I said, my jaw dropping.

"I'll only take the job if you want me here," Jake said, taking my hands in his. "If you want to forget about me, just say the word and I'm gone."

I just stood there, my mouth hanging open, staring at him. "I really care about you, Miley," Jake continued. "And I really think we're ready this time around.

I. Could. Not. Believe. My. Ears. THIS WAS INSANE! I wanted to tell him a million times yes! I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to tell him that I cared about him too, and that I wanted to be his girlfriend so bad! Everything I ever liked about him was seemed to have been amplified a hundred times, and all the things that had torn us apart were gone. I wanted to tell him that I was ready, that we were ready, to give it a real shot this time. But all I could do was stand there with my mouth hanging open, looking as stupid as a vegetarian at the Beef 'N' Waffle.

"Miley?" Jake said, waving his hand in front of my frozen face. "It's not that I mind here standing here feeling like an idiot after I just poured my heart and soul out to you, but you think you could say something? Anything?"

I was at a total loss of words. But as people always say, actions speak louder than words.

So I grabbed the collar of Jake Ryan's collar and planted one on his unsuspecting lips.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So that's what happened," I said, sighing again, after having shared the whole story (leaving out the moments of doubt, of course) with Lily. The other side of the conversation, however, was dead silent. "Lily?"

I heard some shuffling. "Oh, yeah...right," Lily said, her voice flat. "That's gr-great!"

"You don't sound so sure," I replied, frowning.

"I am," Lily said. "Really. If you're happy, I'm happy."

I hope she really meant it. Because if my own best friend wasn't sure, how could I be?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oliver is worse than a girl. He really, truly, honestly is.

Jake, Lily he and I had been sitting in my living for the past hour and a half, and for an entire ninety minutes, Oliver had been glaring at Jake through narrow eyes.

And if looks could kill, Jake would have died a long and painful death.

I can't even understand what his problem is. I get that he doesn't like Jake, but he should at least try to be nice to Jake for my sake, right?

Wrong.

"That was such a nice movie, wasn't it?" Jake said as the credits rolled, his arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah," Lily replied blandly.

"It was," I agreed.

"Grr," Oliver grunted. Like I said, worse than a girl.

"Well, I hate to break up the fun," Jake said. Letting go of me and getting up. "But I got to get up bright and early for my new job tomorrow." He winked at me.

"Don't let us keep you, now," Oliver said coldly. Lily flicked him in the head.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, right?" Jake asked me, taking my hand.

"Of course," I replied, then leaned in and gave Jake a light kiss on the lips. He let go of my hand and walked out the door.

"Thank God that's over," Oliver said, sighing heavily.

I shot him a dark stare.

"He meant the movie," Lily quickly added. "Right, Oliver?"

"Actually, I was talking about---" Lily elbowed him viciously in the ribs before he could finish his sentence. "Yeah," he said, rubbing his side. "I meant the movie. Nobody else. I mean, nothing else."

I really couldn't take this. I love Oliver...I mean as a friend, or a goldfish...but I wasn't going to stand for this. I know that he always kinda thought Jake was a bit...self-centered, but why couldn't he see that Jake had really changed?

"Okay, Oliver what's your problem?" I asked crossing my arms.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver replied stupidly.

"Oh, don't play stupid with me, you donut," I said, narrowing my eyes. "What's your problem with Jake?"

"Do you really want to know what my problem with that pretty boy is?"

"Oh look!" Lily yelled, turning on the TV and pointing at it. " 'Are You Dumber Than A Dog?' is on! Let's watch!"

"Yeah!" I said loudly to Oliver, ignoring Lily.

"Jake Ryan is a self-centered, egotistical, self-absorbed jerk who's favourite thing in the world is his own reflection!" Oliver said.

"Oh, maybe we can watch 'Barney Bitman'!" Lily said, trying to yell over us.

"Jake used to be like that!" I argued. "But he's changed!"

"People don't change," Oliver spat, pushing Lily over, who had been sitting between us, so that he could see me better. "He's just playing you!"

"Do you really think I'm that dumb?" I yelled. "Do you really think I wouldn't see that?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Oliver said angrily.

"Say what?!?" I yelled back.

"Hey guys how's it---" Jackson said, suddenly coming in from work. He stopped in his tracks and looked from me to Oliver. "Oh, I forgot, I have to..."

"Drive me to the dentist?" Lily suggested, getting up off the floor.

"Right!" Jackson replied, and he and Lily quickly fled out the door.

"So how long have you thought I was an idiot?" I spat, infuriated.

"I-I don't think you're an idiot," Oliver said, calming down. "It's just..."

"What?" I yelled.

"You can do so much better than him," Oliver said softly, now sitting very close to me.

"You really think so?" I asked, lowering my voice.

"Of course," Oliver replied, looking me in the eyes. "But you do have a tendency to fall for guys who are...let's just say, very special."

"Oh," I said, looking down. What was wrong with me? Why had I yelled at my best friend like that? I should have known that he'd always be on my side. Even if he was a major donut, he was my donut. And he'd always be. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you."

"Don't be," Oliver said, putting my hand on his arm. "I shouldn't have started on Jake like that. If you want to be with him, it's fine with me."

I looked up at him. "Really?"

"Well, honestly," Oliver replied. "No."

"I'm glad at least you're telling me the truth," I said smiling at him. I could have sworn I saw him blush.

"You know I always will," Oliver said. "But I don't want to see you get hurt again. You don't deserve that. And Jake Ryan really doesn't deserve you."

"Thanks, Oliver," I said, our eyes meeting. We both quickly looked away. It was like all of a sudden, I truly realized what an amazing friend Oliver was. I knew I could always count on him, no matter what. It was like I had never noticed all these wonderful things about him before; like the way he never lied to me, the way he his eyes sparkled every time they would meet mine...woah, what was up with that? Why, all of a sudden, were things so...real?


	5. List

Chapter Five: List (Oliver's POV)

I've made a list.

A list of all the ways I could hurt Jake. And make it as creatively painful as possible.

Number One: Lock him in a crate and stick him on a cargo plane headed to the Arctic. Let's see how long his charm will work on the hungry polar bears.

"Hi Oliver," Jake said, sitting down next to me, as I ate a hot dog. "Have you seen Miley?"

"Nope," I replied, shoving some fries in my already-full mouth. Number Two: Glue him inside a gazelle suit and send him to a lion-infested jungle in Kenya. "I haven't seen her since finals ended on Friday." Two very, very long days ago.

"Have you talked to her lately?" Jake asked, glancing around oddly.

"Well, yeah," I answered. What was with all these stupid questions? "She is my best friend, after all."

"What's she been saying?" Jake asked loudly, now staring directly at me. Okay...freak much? "I mean, about me. About us."

"Do I look like Lily?" I snapped, finishing off my hot dog. "We don't talk about that kind of stuff."

"Right," Jake said, calming down. "Of course." He slapped me on the arm and smiled. "I knew you'd be cool."

Number Three: Sic Mikayla on him. God knows she can hold a nasty grudge like the best of them. "Sure," I replied. "So what are you doing here anyway?"

"Just hanging out with my buddy," he replied, that stupid grin still plastered on his face. He slapped me on the arm again.

"Okay then," I said, forcing a smile. _You've got to pretend you don't want to break every bone in his body, for Miley's sake, _I reminded myself. _At least until she realizes what a jerk he is and dumps him. _"Aren't you supposed to be meeting Miley somewhere?"

"Nah," Jake said, leaning back in his chair. "She's got a...Hannah thing."

"Right," I replied. Number Four: Cover him in honey and throw him in a beehive.

"Hey guys!" Lily announced, walking up to our table and sitting down next to me. Thank. God. I couldn't take another second of that idiot's bizarre ramblings.

"Where's Miley?" Jake demanded. Ding, dong, Crazy's back. "Have you seen her? How is she?"

"Yeah," Lily replied, throwing me a puzzled look. "She's just changing. She said she'd be coming down soon."

"Oh. Okay. Good," Jake said, nodding frantically, and then pushing his hair with his hand. Number Five: Pluck out his stupid blond hair. One. By. One. "So...did you girls have fun today?"

"Um, yah," Lily replied. "I met Stella Fabioni."

"Sounds great!" Jake replied, his tone freakishly enthusiastic.

"Hey Oliver!" Miley said, running down to our table. As usual, my heart did that stupid flip-flop thing that it does every time she talks to me. Or looks at me. Or is near me. "Hey --- oh. Hi Jake." She looked away. What was up with that?

"Hi Miles," Jake said, grinning awkwardly. How dare that evil little nitwit call her Miles! I call her Miles. Have I mentioned how much I hate Jake Ryan?

I noticed something odd on her arm. "Since when do you wear that cuff bracelet Jackson got you for Christmas last year?" I asked.

"Oh," Miley said, looking at her feet. "I...I thought it would add something special to the outfit. Cool, eh?"

"Um," Lily replied. "If you say so."

"Hey Miley!" Jake said. "You wanna walk with me? Down on the beach?"

"Um," Miley replied, looking nervous. "I guess so." She and Jake got up and went down the beach.

"What was that about?" Lily asked.

"I have no idea," I answered, getting up and walking over to Rico's. "Hey Jackson, pass me another hot dog."

"Jake was acting weird," Lily said matter-of-factly, leaning against the counter as Jackson prepared my hot dog.

"That idiot is always weird," I replied angrily. Jackson laughed as he handed me my hot dog. "What's so funny?"

"You've got it bad, man," Jackson said, shaking his head.

"What?" I asked.

"You are _soooo _crushing on Miley," Lily replied in a sing-song voice.

"You guys are nuts," I said, slapping a couple of crumpled dollar bills into Jackson's open palm.

"Right," Jackson replied, winking at Lily. "We're the crazy ones."

"Come on, Oliver," Lily said, leaning towards me. "Don't be such a donut. Just admit you have a crush on Miley."

"No," I replied. The truth was, I more than just had a crush on Miley. I couldn't help feel happy when she was around. When she was near me, all I could concentrate on was her. And when she wasn't there, I spent all my time wondering what she was doing, and if maybe she was thinking of me too. According to my---I mean Grandma's soaps, that was way beyond a crush. That was love.

"You can trust us," Jackson said.

"I know I can," I replied. "The truth is...I only think of Miley as a friend. Nothing else." My left eye twitched. God, I hate when it does that. It's a good thing nobody knows it means I'm lying.

"You leave us no choice, then," Lily said, shaking her head. "We're going to have to force it out of you." She leaned over and began poking me viciously in the ribs.

"Admit it, admit it!" Lily chanted between each painful jab. I tried to fight her off, but man, is that girl strong. And Jackson pinning me down to the counter didn't help much either.

I could feel the bruises forming but I refused to give in to their demands. No one could know about my feelings for Miley. Especially while Jake was still around.

Number Six: Have Lily poke him till his body is nothing but one huge bruise.

I mustered all my strength and finally managed to free myself from Lily and Jackson. "Stop the madness!" I yelled, falling off my seat. I hit the ground with a loud thud.

That's gonna hurt in the morning.

I got up, rubbing my backside, and turned my back on Lily and Jackson.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"Away from you two psychos," I replied, and started to walk up the beach.

"Hey Oliver!" Jackson yelled from behind me. "For what it's worth, I'd rather you be with Miley than Jake Ryan any day of the week."

As I walked away, I knew what it was worth. It was worth so much. Too much. It meant that I could have her. And yet, I didn't.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number Seven: Wrap him in salami and throw him in a pit cage of starving pit bulls.

Ok wow. That last one sounded pretty cruel.

For the pit bulls.

"Are you going to be like this all summer?" Lily asked, searching through the clothes rack. I must really love Miley enough to go shopping with her and Lily.

"Be like what?" I said robotically.

"Mopey," Lily replied, pulling a blue sweater from the rack. "What do you think?"

"Isn't it kinda big for you?" I said, looking at the large sweater she was holding up.

"It's for you, donut," Lily said. "You're not going to win Miley's heart dressed like that!"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the shirt from her. "For the seven hundredth time," I said, going into the changing room. "I am not in love with her."

"You don't have to admit it for it to be true," Lily said through the door.

"You're delusional," I said, thrusting off my shirt and shoving the blue sweater over my head. "I thought you liked Jake anyway?"

"I do," Lily said as I emerged from the changing room. "But I'd much rather you be with her than Jake. And this shirt is definitely working for you! Am I good or what?"

I looked down at my shirt. "I doubt very much all it will take is a good-looking shirt to win her over."

"Win who over?" Miley said, appearing next to Lily.

"My mom!" I said a little too loudly, spitting out the first person that came to mind. Well, second. Miley's always the first person on my mind. "I'm trying to get her to raise my allowance."

"Knowing your mom, that's not going to happen," Miley said. "But that is a nice shirt." She smiled. And my heart flip-flopped. I should really have a doctor look at that. "You guys haven't done that much shopping, have you?"

"No," Lily said. "We got here like ten minutes before you did."

"Yeah," I replied. "So should I get the shirt?" I pointed at the sweater.

"Definitely," Miley said, smiling. Flip. Flop.

I went back into the changing room and put my own shirt back on.

"So where's Jake today?" Lily asked. Great. Let's ruin my perfectly wonderful day by bringing up that jackass.

"I don't know," Miley answered. " I wanted to hang out with my two best friends today."

As I paid for my shirt, I couldn't help but grin. Me. Miley. The whole day. Just the two of us. Well, Lily was with us too. But as annoying as she can be, she wasn't nearly as annoying as Jake. She was annoying in a little-sister way; she drives you insane sometimes but you love her anyways. Jake, on the other hand...He was annoying in a wanting-to-cause-him-bodily-harm way.

"What are you smilin' 'bout, Oliver?" Miley asked as we walked out of the store and into the next.

"Nothing," I replied. "It's just..."

"What?" Miley asked. "Come on, you can tell me."

"I...I'm just glad we're together," I said, looking away. "I mean...you, me and Lily. It's nice that we're hanging out."

"Yeah," Miley said, nodding in agreement. "We haven't been doing of that lately. What do you think of this scarf?" She picked up a shiny blue one off a rack of scarves nearby.

"It's...nice," I replied. It matched her eyes. "We haven't spent much time with each other."

"You're right," Miley said, pulling another scarf, a silky silver one, off of the pile. "We've all been so busy, with finals, and Hannah stuff, and summer vacation starting, and me getting back together with---"

"Hey guys!" Jake said, waving at us, as he walked from the front of the store towards Miley and I.

Number Eight: Strangle him with the silky silver scarf in Miley's hand.

"Um, hi Jake," Miley said, glancing sideways at me. "What are you doing here?"

"I went by your house and your dad said that you were at the mall with Lily and Oliver," Jake replied. "So here I am!"

"But..." Miley said.

"Is something wrong?" Jake asked, crossing his arms and frowning. What the heck was his problem?

"Well..." Miley said awkwardly. "I kinda wanted it to be just us." She pointed at me.

"Just you and Oliver?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lily too," I added, pointing over to where Lily was looking at hats.

"But you're my girlfriend," Jake said, glaring at Miley. "And Lily and Oliver are my friends too. So I don't see a problem."

"Yeah," Miley said, stepping towards me. "But...we just wanted to hang out. You know, just the three of us."

"Can you just come over here with me, Miles?" Jake said politely. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

Miley gave that nervous look again as she walked away with Jake towards the children's department.

"What the heck was that about?" Lily asked, coming up behind me, holding a dress in her hand.

"Dunno," I replied, still confused about what just happened.

"So what do you think," Lily asked, trying to pull my attention away from Miley and onto the dress she was now holding up against herself.

"It's fine," I said, looking at the short pink dress. "But it's really not your style. Why are you getting a dress anyway?"

"I..I thought I'd wear it to the party at Miley's next Saturday," Lily replied, looking at her sneakers.

"You mean Jackson's birthday party?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "You don't...like him, do you?"

"What?" Lily said loudly, dropping the dress. "I...of course not! That's just...pff...You know, there'll be all Jackson's friends at the party...and they'll be seniors in the fall..."

"Right," I replied, nodding. Looks like I wasn't the only in denial.

"So what do you think is up with Jake and Miley?" Lily asked. Nice. Let's change the subject by talking about them. Always a pleasure.

"I don't know," I said, looking over at a little kid who was holding his mother's hand by the sales rack.

I remember when I was that age. Cute, innocent, not in the care in the world. No beautiful amazing girls that take up every inch of your brain; no annoyingly accurate friends that try to poke the truth out of you; and certainly no idiotic blond actors who steal the girl of your dreams and treat her all wrong. Three times. Now I'm still cute, but not so innocent. And I know I care about more than I should.

"Oliver?" Lily said, waving her hand in front of my face. "Earth to donut!"

"What?" I said, shaking off my train of thought.

"I said, shouldn't we go find Miley?" Lily said. "It's been 15 minutes."

"I'll go," I volunteered. "You keep looking for an outfit for Jackson."

Lily blushed and frowned. "I mean Jackson's party." I added, grinning.

I turned towards to the children's section and walked off to where Miley and Jake had gone.

"You said," Miley was saying angrily. "You promised it wouldn't happen again!"

I hid behind a rack of shorts as I listened to their fight. I knew it was wrong, but it made me happy to see her mad at him like that.

"I know, I know," Jake said softly, stepping towards Miley. I clenched my teeth and tightened my fists. Happy moment over. "But nothing happened."

"What?!" Miley screeched. "You just----"

"I know what you think happened, Miles," he whispered, taking a step towards her. I swear, if he takes one more step...

Number Nine: Beat him over the head with a pair of Tiny Tots shoes.

"But I know how stressed you've been lately," Jake continued. "With finals two weeks ago, and Hannah's new album, and now you're waiting for your finals results...Life's been crazy for you, huh? Maybe you're just exaggerating what you think happened. You know how much I care about you, right?"

"I...," Miley said, calming down. She had turned around and I could see the dried tears streaking her beautiful face. I had to muster every ounce of control my body possessed in order to remain still. "Maybe you're right."

"I know," Jake said, pulling her into his arms.

"I...I must be exaggerating," Miley said, sounding unsure. "I'm sorry for accusing you like that."

"It's all right," Jake said, letting her go and smiling tenderly at her. "I know how it's been for you lately. Let's go find Oliver and Lily."

Jake took her by the hand and they walked right past where I was hiding; they made their way towards Lily.

I was shaking with anger as I emerged from behind the rack of tiny shorts and made my way back to Lily, Miley and Jake.

Number Ten: Beat his face in with my bare hands. 'Cause that's really the best way to go.

* * *

**Okay, wow.**

**Oliver was seriously angry in this chapter.**

**And I loved it.**

**Well, I know it was a little OOC, but I thought it worked out well with my story.**

**Lemme know what you guys think!**


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